73 comments:

I like "oftentimes" and, in my opinion, use it in a more formal register, like I would "amongst" instead of "among". From a regional perspective, perhaps "oftentimes" is used more in Canada than the US.

True--I hadn't thought of it with a similar construction as "sometimes". So in a way, it's a variation of that word, just doing something more frequently. But I still think that "often" is good enough :) Or maybe I'm just a simple-minded American ;)

For what it's worth - this drives me f-ing crazy! It's definately a California thing, can't comment on the rest of the US. I thought it was just my boss's poor English for a while (she's South American) but I hear it everyday; it's killing me...

It's not just a California thing--I think southerners use it too. I don't hear it in Chicago a lot, but it still seems to be spreading throughout the U.S., especially when well-known people use it. I never do!

I'm a UK-based editor of science articles. I'm working on a manuscript written by an author in Illinois, who has used 'often times' several times - needless to say, I'll be changing this throughout the article!

Wow--I'm also from Illinois, but never use such words. But there are plenty of people who use it, so it's probably correct. But if I were to read it, especially through a science article, I'd get pretty annoyed :D

That's cool that you're in the UK and are editing stuff my my American state :D

Well, we scientists can move around a lot and pick up the local lingo!My author worked in Wisconsin and then California before moving to Illinois, so perhaps that has a bearing ;) The article's great so I'll forgive him!

I work with authors from all round the world - the location doesn't matter but the author needs to be a top scientist, a leader in the field so to speak. Sometimes native English-speaking authors have poorer written English than their Japanese/French/German counterparts :)

I do medical transcription for US hospitals in another country. I often hear the word 'majority of the pain.' Is this typically American usage, as the word 'majority' generally is used to refer to a countable numbner of people or things and pain is an abstract noun?

I lived in the States in the 70s. I'd never heard this expression used in those days. When I heard it on Fox News this year, I couldn't believe my ears. Now Americans are saying it all the time. Even Barack Obama does. Obviously, times is redundunt. Educated people shouldn't speak like that.

Oftentimes is the opposite of sometimes. I think its a charming word. If you don't like it, then don't use it."

Well, if "oftentimes" had an opposite, which it doesn't since it is not a real word, it would be "nevertimes". Thank you for proving that redundant and unintelligent thinkers like to use this non-word.

I think the opposite of "oftentimes" would be "seldomtimes" and both sound ridiculous to me. Saying "often" or "seldom" alone conveys that you are referring to "times" that something would occur. Conversely, you cannot say "some" and convey the same meaning as "sometimes." I find it difficult to accept the message of a speaker who uses "oftentimes," particularly when they repeat it several times throughout the speech.

I think perhaps the bigger problem here is that you hear it too often. ANY word repeated incessently would get annoying. When a speaker (or writer) falls back on a formula phrase like "oftentimes" ... well naturally anyone who already finds it awkward would dislike it.

However I don't think that using it is wrong. It's a way to use "often" in a different grammatical sense. It's a different form of "often," if you will. It is similar to "sometimes," and really, I don't think that you cna replace "oftentimes" with "often" in most senses ... or at least not in the sense that I use it. I would have to rearrange the sentence, which leads me to believe that it is an entirely different form of the word.

Ironically, I found this debate while trying to figure out if "oftentimes" is the proper spelling, in order to use it in an assignment. I think I'll avoid it altogether, just to be safe.

So uh, I'm here about 2 years too late, but I accidently stumbled upon this blog. "Oftentimes" is one word because it is derived from the word "ofttimes" from old poetry. "Often" and "ofttimes" are derived from the same base word, "oft". Ofttimes or oftentimes aren't redundent, nor are they different from "often" at all; "often" and "oftentimes" mean the exact same thing and are said the exact same way.

Im from Britain and I have never heard the word used, or at least not that I can recall.I think you can use often in its place regardless of the structure of your sentence:Often, I think about whether "oftentimes" is a real wordorI often think about whether oftentimes is a real word.So in my opinion either is grammatically correct. Also it has very little relation to "some", as often and never are expressions of frequency to start with whereas some is an expression of frequency, hence the need to add "times" when expressing a frequency.

I'm also about 2 years late to the party, and I also found this article looking for the correct spelling.

Often and seldom are opposites, as are always and never. The opposite of sometimes would be manytimes, though it's usually spelled as two words, methinks.

While I've always considered the word normal, after reading the arguments presented here I agree it's redundant. I also always used the term "hot water heater" until someone pointed out that hot water doesn't need to be heated. So I think I'll try culling this word from my vocabulary, unless I'm going for quaint or folksy.

And, here we go again. Quite honestly, I do not see what all the hullabaloo us over this word. Yes, "oftentimes" is correct, and yes, it is one word. If you find it redundant, don't use it. But that does not mean it is an "incorrect" or "unintelligent" word. Why do we say half the phrases or words we do in English? Seriously, look it up in the dictionary and then see how "uneducated" we "oftentimes" people are. ;)

I am loving this debate. I am taking a Modern American Usage class at Brigham Young University and I think my professor would love this blog. FYI, looking around in reliable usage dictionaries, often vs. oftentimes isn't even addressed, so more power to the oftentimes users. Also, to imply that someone is more educated or more "correct" than the next person just through the use of "oftentimes" seems a little pretentious. And hey, if us "oftentimes" users are wrong, so was Shakespeare (see King Lear, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, and other plays) Anyone out there dare to take on The Bard??

Often times is a ridiculous word formation used by those who probably say "as per..." or speak of "home-alone" children. It drives me crazy and smacks of laziness. The correct word to use, for any Americans reading this, is a perfectly good one... FREQUENTLY!

Some of you guys need to learn to use a dictionary. "Oftentimes" is one word and has been in pretty much constant use since the 14th century. Grammatically, it is not interchangeable with "often," though they mean the same thing. If your only bone to pick - and it seems as if it is, indeed, your only bone - is that you don't like the word, I fail to see why you do not also object to the word "often" and shoot for forcing everyone to use the term "frequently" instead.

Oftentime(s) is incorrect: often is an adverb and it just means that; frequently. Oftentimes cannot be calqued on sometimes. "Some" is an adjective modifying different nouns (some apples, some people, some time = sometimes). Often cannot be used with a noun; you do not say"Often days - often weeks - often months" -- although some people mighttry it some day, and if it gets repeated often enough, it might catch on !

For whatever reason, 'oftentimes' has annoyed me in the past couple of years, too. Thinking it was redundant and/or a regional idiom, I looked it up. It is neither. It is correct English, and has been around since the 14th century. sigh. i really hate being wrong.

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition:of•ten•times (ôfn-tmz, ôftn-, fn-, ftn-) also oft•times (ôftmz, f-)adv. Frequently; repeatedly.

oftentimes FTW! Often is an annoying word. It feels harsh and sharp. Try saying it. Of-ten. I cut my tongue just saying the word. Oftentimes. It softens the word. It makes it cozy, like a grandfather telling his grandchild about 'back in the day.' Don't be haters. Don't be that guy that hates on words just because they have an extra syllable or two.

I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise up when I hear the so-called word "oftentimes"! It is misuse and annoying to me. " Often" or "frequently" are better words to use. I think this usage has come from grammatical laziness and lack of education in the schools. As in "almost always"... well is it always, or often? or "often always". Common usage doesn't make it correct or literate.

@howlyn Thanks for the information of the word being in the dictionary, and yet, like you, the word still annoys me as being redundant in some way. Sometimes we should try to choose words for their ability to best express the idea--concise--precise..descriptive. For me, the word "oftentimes" just doesn't fill that niche. I am still annoyed or irked by the use of it. "I often find myself doing this" is so much better to my eye and ear than "oftentimes I find myself doing this".. I oftentimes find myself cringing at the use of the too frequently utilized word!!! : )

Oftentimes is a word! I don't use it often but it can be used in place of the word "often"only sometimes. I could not say, "I don't use it oftentimes." But a perfect example where the word works well would be in this statement:

"Oftentimes received with great affection, war heros in the past were honored and respected."

It is almost the same as "frequently" and "commonly" but in this sentence both those words seem funny. And oftenly isn't a word! Oftentimes feels more appropriate for a statement about the past. Frequently and commonly also make is seem that war heros are common. If you think there would be a better way to write the sentence above give it a try.

In the end it's a matter of stylistic preference. Most of the time I wouldn't choose it but sometimes it is the perfect word for a sentence. Just because a word isn't common doesn't mean it doesn't belong in peoples vocabulary. It just means you shouldn't overuse it!